How I Make Sausage, or What Goes Into Writing A Book

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I'm working on the first draft of my tenth historical romance, [working title] The Privateer's Bartered Bride. It's the second in an as-yet untitled series of three books: Smuggler/Privateer/Pirate, and  takes the sister of the hero in the first book on her own adventure.

The problem is, I'm a "seat of the pants" or "pantser" writer so I sometimes have no idea how my books are going to shape up. She meets him, or he meets her, they're together, stuff happens, and then there's an HEA. But it's that journey to the "happily ever after" that makes the book.

I've got tricks and techniques that help me along when I get stuck. Today I pulled out an old research biography, one I'd purchased when I was writing Captain Sinister's Lady some 20 years ago. As I'm reading through some chapters set in the year of my WIP it suddenly struck me what my hero's goal is, why he's sailing, where he's going...and why the heroine is in his was as an obstacle. 

That's it, that's my writing process. Letting my unconscious wake up and tell me what's happening. I'm told it would be more efficient to outline, but that's never worked for me, so here I am, plinking away at my keyboard and letting my muse slap me upside the head. 

It's not for everybody, but it's worked nine times so far, so I'm optimistic it will work on Book 10 too. More on this as it develops.





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